Nozzle with tamperproof seal



W. J. DOBBINS NOZZLE WITH TAMPERPROOF SEAL April 12, 1960 Filed May 6,195

5 w mm 1 P m M W M 4 .J. 7 A I. 2774/4. 9 z i m y f a mm BY vzm/Armewexs iinited rates Patent l NOZZLE WITH TAMPERPROOF SEAL Walter J.Dobbins, Lake Zurich, Ill., 'assignor to American "Can Company, NewYork, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 6, 1958, SerialNo. 733,281

3 Claims. (Cl. 222-541) The present invention relates to deformabledispensing nozzles and closures for cans or containers of various kinds,especially cans or containers for liquid products and has particularreference to a tamperproof seal for such nozzles and closures.

This invention is an improvement over the invention disclosed in UnitedStates Patent 2,823,837, issued February 18, 1958, to C. W. Heinle onFlexible Dispensing Nozzle With Supporting Closure.

An object of the invention is to provide a deformable or flexibleplastic nozzle and closure with a tamperproof seal which is easilyremovable by the consumer but not without destroying it so that theconsumer when purchasing the container will be warned of possibletampering if the seal is missing or broken.

Another object is the provision in a deformable or flexible plasticnozzle and closure, of a tamperproof seal which is leakproof and whichserves as a reinforcing memher for supporting the nozzle againstdistortion during shipment and storage.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentas it is better understood from the following description, which, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferredembodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container for liquids having adispensing nozzle and closure embodying the instant invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the nozzle and closure shown inFig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the upper portion of thenozzle.

As a preferred and exemplary embodiment of the instant invention thedrawings illustrate a sheet metal container 11 (Fig. 1) comprising acylindrical tubular body 12 closed at its ends with a bottom 13 and atop or convex breast 14 secured thereto in suitable end seams 15.

An upright dripless nozzle 17 (Figs. 2 and 3) having a closure or cap 18is carried on the breast 14 todispense repeated amounts of liquidproducts from the container.

The nozzle 17 is made from a material which preferably has non-corrosivecharacteristics. Such materials include metals such as aluminum andpolymeric substances such as thermoplastic resins, for examplepolyethylene, polystyrene, acrylic acid polymers, nylon, etc. whichgenerally are flexible or somewhat resilient and deformable by nature.

The nozzle 17 preferably is a molded, plastic material, relatively thickwalled, tubular member. The term plastic as used herein is intended toinclude all such materials as synthetic and natural resins, polymers andelastomers.

The nozzle 17 preferably is formed with a cylindrical body having acentrally located bore 21 (Figs. 2 and 3) which terminates at its upperend in a circular dispensing mouth 22. The lower end of the nozzle bodyis secured to the breast 14 in any suitable manner. For this pur-2,932,436 Patented Apr. 12, 1960 pose the drawings show the lower end ofthe nozzle 17 formed with a surrounding thick flange 24 which isincorporated in an annular channel 25 of a short neck 26 formed on thebreast 14 and folded under and over the flange 24 of the nobble toprovide a seam 27 to tightly hold the nozzle in place.

At its top or dispensing end, surrounding its mouth 22, the nozzle 17 isformed with a flat sealing face 28 which is part of a thin walled, sharpedged, laterally projecting, non-drip annular flange or collar 29 setoff by an annular groove 31 formed in the outer wall surface of thenozzle. Intermediate its ends, the outer surface of the nozzle wall isprovided with a screw thread 32.

At this top of dispensing end of the nozzle 17, the mouth 22 of the bore21 is slightly enlarged in diameter to provide a cylindrical sealingsection which extends axially inwardly from the flat sealing face 28 apredetermined distance and is defined by a cylindrical side wall 33(Fig. 2) which terminates at an annular shoulder or ledge 34 formed inthe bore of the nozzle. This shoulder 34 supports an imperforate andimpervious tamperproof disc or diaphragm seal 35 made of any suitablenonporous or liquid tight material such as plastic, metal or coatedtfibreboard. I

The disc seal 35 is slightly greater in diameter than the diameter ofthe annular sealing section defined by the nozzle while being pressedinto place and slightly indents its peripheral edge into the cylindricalwall 33 at the shoulder 34," so that its peripheral edge engages tightlyin a liquidproof joint against the wall 33 to prevent leakage of thecontents from the container. The upper edges of the bore preferably areformed with a chamfer 36 (Fig. 3) to facilitate entry of the sealingdisc into sealing position against the shoulder 34.

The disc seal 35 thus presents a tight fitting, smooth surface, sealwhich when once pressed into sealing position cannot be displaced in anymanner except by mutilating it and this immediately shows that the sealand probably the contents of the container have been tampered with.Removal of the seal can only be effected by destroying it beyond furtheruse.

The seal 35 in sealing position also serves as a support for holding theflexible or deformable nozzle 17 in rounded condition and therebyprevents squeezing the nozzle into an oval or other non-cylindricalshape.

The closure or cap 18 preferably is made of a relatively rigid materialsuch as metal or plastic, preferably a hard plastic which may be moldedto present a pleas ing appearance. This cap 18 preferably is formed witha flat top wall 45 terminating at its outer edges in a depending skirtWall 46. When the cap is in place on the nozzle 17 the skirt wall 46surrounds the nozzle. The inner surface of the skirt wall 46 is providedwith screw threads 47 for cooperation with the screw threads 32 on thenozzle 17 for securing the cap in place on the nozzle.

Inside the cap 18, the top wall 45 is formed with a flat annular seat 51(Fig. 2) for engagement against the fiat face 28 of the nozzle 17 toeffect a tight leakpro of seal for the nozzle, without the use ofgaskets of any kind, when the cap 18 is screwed down tight on the nozzleas a reclosure cap.

To insure against distortion of the flexible nozzle 17 by the axialcompression thereof incident to securing the cap 18 to the nozzlethrough cooperation of the screw threads 32, 37, the top wall 45 of thecap 18 is provided with a depending support member or protuberance 53(Fig. 2). This support member 53 is a rigid cylindrical element,preferably formed as an integral part of the cap and preferably in theform of a cylindrical ring having an outside diameter substantiallyequal to the inside diameter of the sealing section defined by the sidewall 33 and disposed in axial alignment therewith. The depth of the ringis substantially equal to the depth of the sealing section definedby theside wall '33 so that the ring will engage against the-disc seal 35supported on the shoulder 34, as shown in Fig. 2. The ring or supportmember 53 thus serves to prevent displacement of the disc seal 35 as aresult of internal pressure during shipment of the container.

When the cap 18 is applied to the flexible nozzle 17 and screwed downtight, the rigid support member 53 enters and projects into the sealingsection at the mouth of the nozzle and engages against the side walls 33and thereby backs up and laterally supports the nozzle adjacent itsdispensing end, in addition to the support of the disc seal 35, whilethe nozzle is held under axial compression through cooperation of thenozzle and cap screw threads 32, 47. This internal support of thedispensing end of the flexible nozzle 17 protects the nozzle againstlateral distortion and resulting out-of-round configuration and therebypreserves the proper shape of the nozzle mouth for satisfactorydispensing of the contents of the container after the disc seal 35 isremoved. It also preserves the proper seal between the nozzle sealingface 28 and the cap sealing seat 41.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement ofthe parts without departing from the spirit and scope I ofthe invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, theformhereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

'1 claim:

l.'- A tubular tamper-proof deformable nozzle for dispensing'thecontents of a container, comprising an upstanding cylindrical nozzlebody of flexible material having a central bore defined by a deformablecylindrical wall and terminating in a dispensing mouth, said bore havingan annular support shoulder spaced axially inwardly of said mouth, and aflat imperforate and impervious rupturable sealing disc of slightlygreater diameter than said bore press fitted therein and seated on saidshoulder, the press-fitted peripheral edge of said disc by reason of itsslightly greater diameter being circumferentially indented into saiddeformable cylindrical wall adjacent said shoulder to eifect a permanentliquid tight seal for said nozzle and to hold the deformable bore wallthereof in true cylindrical shape.

2. The tamper-proof nozzle of claim 1 wherein the dispensing mouth ofsaid bore is of greater diameter than the bore and is defined by anoutwardly flared portion of said cylindrical wall to facilitate theinsertion and press fitting of said sealing disc into its said indentedengagement with said cylindrical wall of said bore.

3. The tamper-proof nozzle of claim 2 wherein a removable reclosure caphas external threaded engagement with said nozzle body, said cap havinga depending cylindrical protuberance projecting axially from the innersurface of its closed end into said bore and engaging said sealing discto hold the same against displacement from said shoulder by internalpressure of the container contents.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,409,544 I-Iallock Mar. 14, 1922 2,016,966 Knop Oct. 8, 1935 2,104,322Gutmann Ian. 4, 1938 2,646,906 Jones et a1. July 28, 1953 2,771,213Henderson Nov. 20, 1956 2,808,184 Vanko Oct. 1, 1957 2,823,837 HeinleFeb. 18, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 275,750 Switzerland Sept. 1, 1951

